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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570017">they say that things just cannot grow beneath the winter snow (or so I have been told)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theragingstorm/pseuds/theragingstorm'>theragingstorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>rise like the break of dawn [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Family, Frozen AU, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Pre-Dick/Babs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:42:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theragingstorm/pseuds/theragingstorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While an unnatural storm covers the land, five brothers begin their journey to find their sister. They turn out to need some help along the way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson &amp; Everyone, Stephanie Brown &amp; Barbara Gordon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>rise like the break of dawn [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>they say that things just cannot grow beneath the winter snow (or so I have been told)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I will almost certainly write more for this in the future. Also, if anyone would also like to write/make art for this au themselves, you are very welcome to. </p><p>Title from Sara Bareilles' and Ingrid Michaelson's "Winter Song."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun had set far, far earlier than it ever did in July, and the full silver moon hung heavy amongst the wispy clouds. The sky was blacker than any blue summer night, and the stars stood out against the black as cold white points of light. The land was blanketed in a heavy layer of snow, fresh, thick snow that smothered the trees and grass and glimmered like knives under the moonlight. When Dick exhaled, it came out like a cloud, like dragon's breath. </p><p>“This is,” Jason said behind him, not for the first time, “complete and utter horseshit.”</p><p>“Can you walk more and complain less?” Tim muttered. </p><p>“I mean, first of all, our sister panics, gets hysterical, and traps the kingdom in winter. Then she runs off. And now, we have to abandon the kingdom and the castle and everyone within to get her back.”</p><p>“We’re well aware of the facts, Jason,” Duke sighed. </p><p>“We could have sent a search party. We could have sent the guards. We could have made a <em>plan</em>. But no, our <em> gracious </em> king had to immediately volunteer himself and  <em> us </em> to trudge in circles through miles and miles of knee-deep snow, freezing our various bits off because we don’t have any winter gear because it was supposed to be <em> the middle of summer. </em>”</p><p>“Would you shut up?” Damian snapped. “How were we supposed to know that the horses would run off?”</p><p>“That’s beside the point. The point is: thank you <em> so </em> much, Dick.”</p><p>Dick sighed, dragging his hands down his face -- then pausing to blow on them, desperately trying to alleviate the perpetual numbness in his fingers, slipping them under his arms and shivering. </p><p>This had been, perhaps, the worst coronation ever. </p><p>They’d been walking for nearly twelve hours on-and-off, and before, had been riding for half the night and into the morning. None of them had found anywhere to eat, they’d all thought they would’ve found their sister by then, and so they’d only had a few leftovers from the reception on them; snacking morosely on bits of cake and stale amuse-bouches. Duke had suggested trying to catch an animal to eat, and Damian had promptly shot that down by pointing out that any animal with a lick of sense would be holed up against the snow, and Tim had pointed out that Jason was the only one with a rifle and anyway it would probably stick horribly what with the cold and all, and Jason had agreed. More than that, none of them knew how to cook. But none of them had known that about each other.</p><p>None of them had even really interacted with each other in years. </p><p>“Look, we’re all tired,” Dick tried to say. “Why don’t we, for now, find a place to rest? Build a fire?”</p><p>All four of them turned on him at once. </p><p>“Where are we going to find shelter in this wilderness?” Damian exclaimed, shaking snow off the cape he’d hastily grabbed. “And, Richard, tell me, do you know <em> how </em> to build a fire?”</p><p>“I --”</p><p>“How are we going to find Cass, even if we <em> can </em> find shelter?” Tim fretted. The edges of his hair were frosted with white. “She could be anywhere. All we know is that she went north, and she could’ve stopped at any place, at any point in time, and she has a head start, and who’s to say she even <em> kept </em> going north?”</p><p>“She --”</p><p>“She might not even <em> want </em> to come home with us,” Duke said glumly. “She may be our sister, but she’s barely talked to us since Damian was a baby. I mean, now we, uh, know <em> why </em>, but what kind of bond can we have with a stranger?”</p><p>“Look --”</p><p>“None,” Jason said bitterly. “Bruce, the old bastard, was the <em> only </em> thing that united us, that held us together, and now he’s gone. His ship’s down, he’s not coming back.”</p><p>Damian flinched.</p><p>“And now we’re stranded in the middle of fucking nowhere because of the neurotic mess the old bastard made our sister, and because our <em> brother </em> told us to chase after her like hounds --”</p><p>“Jason, enough,” Dick said through gritted teeth. </p><p>“-- and now we’re probably going to die out here, in this winter she caused, when you, Dick, told us --”</p><p>“I said <em> enough! </em>”</p><p>His outburst effectively silenced the others. Dick wheeled, breathing heavily, his heart pounding. </p><p>“Would you rather, Jason,” he snarled, getting on the balls of his feet to look his brother in the eye, “have left her out here to die? Do you want to prove our guests right when they say our family’s full of monsters?”</p><p>His younger brother narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. </p><p>“Now, listen to me, all of you. We are going to find her, we are going to bring her home, we are <em> not </em> going to die, and so help me, the next person who complains without saying anything <em>helpful</em> is going to --”</p><p>Something beneath the ridge caught his eye.</p><p>“Fire!”</p><p>“You’re going to set us on fire?” </p><p>“No, look, fire!”</p><p>They all scrambled to the edge of the hill and peered down; sure enough, a plume of smoke was rising from a gap in the swath of dark pines. </p><p>“Oh, thank God,” Duke gasped. </p><p>“Now hold on,” Damian cut in, “We have no guarantee that they’ll help us.”</p><p>The five brothers all looked at each other, and Dick, even in his frustration, took them in, <em> really </em> took them in. Every gaze felt like it was catching up on months worth of lost time, of wasted opportunity. Jason was grown now, Duke and Tim nearly so. Damian seemed bigger every day, hiding behind the adult-like scowl he’d painted on.</p><p>For a minute, the only sound was the soft murmur of the wind in the trees, the slight whisper of snowflakes moving in the air. </p><p>“Maybe only one of us should go in,” Duke said. “For now.”</p><p>“I’ll do it,” Dick said without thinking.</p><p>“Dick, you don’t --”</p><p>“Like Jason said…” Dick began to pick his way down the ridge, his brothers murmuring behind him. As frustrated as he was, he still didn’t want to put them at risk. “This was <em> my </em> idea.”</p><p>Jason muttered something under his breath that sounded un-princelike. </p><p>At the bottom of the ridge, Dick parted a curtain of pine branches and came across a clearing. To one side lay a small barn, with yellow lamplight poking through the windows, and to the other was a long log building. The outside of the logs was engraved with graceful, beautiful patterns of leaves and vines and flowers in bloom, a snow-covered sign hung before the door, and sure enough, a chimney poked from it, billowing smoke into the night sky. </p><p>“‘The Garden Curiosity Shop and Trading Post,’” he read aloud. </p><p>That didn’t sound like the kind of place he would go in except during an emergency, but this definitely qualified. </p><p>When he pushed the door open, a blast of warmth greeted him. He gasped, rubbing his arms, shivering slightly in welcome, peering around him. On every shelf, strange objects, framed woodcuts, crystals, dried plant parts, odd illustrations, medical texts, and glass jars etched with the skull-mark for poison. </p><p>Dick meandered around, mostly absorbing the warmth, looking into the back of the building and noting, to his delight, that there was a steamy glass door, a sauna. </p><p>“Are you browsing, or in the market for something?”</p><p>He turned, and at a counter, he saw, were two women. One was a short, lithe blonde in a clashing pink-and-orange dress, most of her obscured by the enormous book she was reading: <em> Medical Inquiries and Observations Upon Diseases of the Mind. </em>The other, the speaker, was a handsome, buxom redhead in green, cradling a potted nightshade plant, gazing at him under heavy-lidded eyes. </p><p>Realizing they had no idea he was the king, he found his tongue. </p><p>“Actually, yes. Would you happen to have food, um, some navigational equipment, oh, and do you have winter clothes? Enough for four young men and a young boy?”</p><p>The blonde, in a high, bright voice, spoke from behind her book.</p><p>“That’d be in our winter department, sweetcakes.”</p><p>She pointed with one hand; Dick looked, and saw that the “winter department” had been almost completely emptied out. There was only barely enough of the winter gear for his family; he picked it up, even as he needed it, he felt guilty about taking the last of the supplies from some other passerby. </p><p>He hastily found a compass, some maps of the border territory, and dried meats, cheeses, and a loaf of bread -- and a bottle of aquavit. </p><p>“May I ask you ladies something?”</p><p>The redhead shrugged languidly. </p><p>“Has a young woman -- about this tall, black hair, brown eyes, wearing a blue dress -- passed through here recently?”</p><p>The blonde set down her book. Her makeup was smeared pink and blue, and she wore a cheerful expression at odds with the weather outside. </p><p>“Nah. Only one crazy enough to be out in this storm is you, sugar.”</p><p>At that exact moment the door opened again. </p><p>The snow-covered figure that emerged was tall, nearly as tall as Jason, and bulky with layers of fur, and, judging by its broad shoulders, muscle too. With strangely, slightly twisted legs, it listed upon a heavy wooden cane, and narrowed green eyes poked out between a gap in the snow-covered hat and scarf. When it walked up to the counter, it loomed a good couple inches over Dick, backing him up against the wood, leaning in over him. He heard himself swallow hard, his heart hammering, suddenly feeling small, slightly exhilarated, and more than a little ridiculous in his blue silk coronation outfit. He could count every snowflake upon the thick black furs. </p><p>The figure grunted slightly, and he realized that it was female. </p><p>“You’re standing in front of the food display.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>She leaned in further, until her eyes were an inch from his.</p><p>“You. Are. Standing. In Front. Of The. Food Display,” she enunciated, with more than a little patronization. </p><p>“The attitude is uncalled for,” he said stiffly, but moved out of the way anyway while she reached under the counter, picking out dried foods of her own, and the last bundle of fresh fruit and vegetables. The blonde woman giggled a bit while her companion sighed, picking at a carrot leaf.</p><p>“My garden’s ruined,” she lamented. “This winter took everything in bloom, <em> all </em> the flowers and fruits. And it’ll all be flattened, because this storm’s coming from the front of the house, from the north, where everything’s totally exposed.”</p><p>“From the north?” Dick repeated.</p><p>The tall woman in furs, who looked less like the court ladies he knew and more like some wild forest spirit, made a noise of agreement as she picked out climbing supplies, rope, picks, a small piece of stone he knew was for sharpening blades. </p><p>“From the North Mountain,” she said to the women behind the counter. “Storm’s coming from there. Doesn’t look like it’ll let up any time soon, either.”</p><p>The redhead sighed morosely again while the blonde checked over the woman in furs’ selection. </p><p>“Alright, that’ll be forty pieces of silver and three coppers.”</p><p>The woman in furs recoiled.</p><p>“What? Down in the valley these supplies sold for <em>a quarter </em>of that. I’ll give you ten for all this and no more.”</p><p>“Ten? Nuh-uh, sugar,” the blonde said, still bright. “This was the last of Red’s garden. Plus, y’know, this is winter gear; it’s been selling like hotcakes for the last day and a half and we’ve got none left. Got a bit of a supply-and-demand problem here, y'know?”</p><p>The woman narrowed her eyes further.</p><p>“You want to talk about a supply-and-demand problem? I sell ice for a living.”</p><p>Dick burst out laughing despite himself, for almost ten seconds straight, before the woman slowly turned to face him, and his laughter slowly tapered off.</p><p>“That’s, uh, that's unfortunate,” he managed to say, swallowing hard.</p><p>As the three women kept arguing over the price, he glanced out the window, his eyes alighting upon a sled, more than big enough to regularly hold a supply of ice. A smaller figure in furs, with strands of blond hair poking from under a lopsided cap, tended the horse hitched to it, glancing around as though she were waiting for something. She looked fairly unbothered by the weather, the wilderness, and Dick suddenly had an idea. </p><p>“So,” he interrupted, addressing the woman in furs, “you know the way to the North Mountain?”</p><p>“Of course I do,” she said irritably, not looking at him, “I know these woods and these mountains better than I know myself.”</p><p>Giddy excitement began bubbling in his chest. </p><p>“And you’re sure the storm was coming from there?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And you know what was happening there? Did it seem...magical?”</p><p>She groaned. Then suddenly pulled off her hat, letting a brilliant shock of vibrant red hair tumble loose, and yanked down her scarf, revealing a strong nose, full lips, pale skin and rosy cheeks dotted with freckles, a scowling, and strikingly beautiful, face. Dick was rendered speechless as she looked down at him. </p><p>“<em> Yes, </em>” she repeated one last time, resting her weight on her cane. “Now will you back up for a minute, so I can deal with these crooks here?”</p><p>The next minute or so was a brutal one. The two outraged shop owners trying to physically restrain their client, who gave as good as she was getting, whacking them both with her cane, all three of them swearing violently, eventually forcing her to the door. </p><p>“You’re ripping off your customers, and the laws in this kingdom clearly state that I have the right to --”</p><p>The blonde, much to Dick’s shock, grabbed her former customer by the wrist and spun, all but flinging her out like a shot put. She and her cane went flying in separate directions, and she landed back-first in the snow, a tree depositing another mound of it on her head; the smaller woman in furs running from the sled and over to her. </p><p>“Mother<em> fucker </em>!” she yelled through a mouthful of snow. </p><p>“Bye-bye!” the blonde called, waving and slamming the door behind her.</p><p>Both shop owners turned and faced Dick again. He immediately decided right then that there needed to be better regulation of prices within the kingdom. <br/>“So you just wanted the food, the navigation equipment, and the winter gear?”</p><p>Dick bit his lip, then shook his head.</p><p>“Actually, I want to pay for a few more things as well.”</p><p>They tried to protest, but he offered them a handful of <em> gold </em> coins, and the promise of sending them a supply of more winter-resilient seeds, and they sold him everything he asked for. </p><p>Then he walked back up to the ridge and passed around the supplies; as they all stuffed themselves on the dried meat and hastily changed, wrapping themselves in the colorful winter gear, he explained his idea. </p><p>“So let me get this straight. Your plan is that we can find our sister, cut our time and our chances of starving out here down severely, but to do that we have to rely on the whim and knowledge of a crazy mountain woman, who sounds really pissed off and who may or may not put an ice pick in our backs while we sleep.”</p><p>“That about sums it up,” Dick admitted, sliding on a black jacket, fur-lined black boots and blue pants, and a magenta cape. </p><p>They were quiet for a moment. </p><p>“Well, I like it,” Duke decided. “So how do we get her to help us?”</p><p>Jason toed the bag of ropes, picks, and extra food.</p><p>“I assume we get her to help us the way anyone gets anyone to do anything. We pay her.”</p><p>“Correct.”</p><p>By the time the five brothers were all ready, and had picked their way down the ridge, Dick saw with relief that the sled was still there -- and realized that he could clearly hear voices coming from inside the barn.</p><p>They crept to the door and opened it a crack, peering in. </p><p>“See, this is why we can never keep clients,” said an unfamiliar voice. It belonged to the smaller woman in furs, who turned out to be a girl about Tim’s age, maybe a little older, with scars lining her hands and wrists and messy honey-blonde hair. Engraved metal barrettes kept it out of her eyes, and she was seated next to her companion on a mound of straw. Both of them had shed most of their outer layers, and their untethered horse stood at their side, nibbling at strands of straw, whisking his tail contentedly. The taller, older woman had let her red hair fall loose, sitting forward, her cane at her side. She looked less irritated now, and more tired. </p><p>The girl continued. </p><p>“You always just <em> have </em> to piss everyone else off, Barbara. It’s a serious problem. You always gotta win the argument, always have to have it <em> your </em> way, and you never know when to just say ‘alright’ and let it go.”</p><p>“Oh, like <em> you </em> can talk, Stephanie,” the older woman -- Barbara -- retorted, leaning back into the straw. “You’re a stubborn as a reindeer bull.”</p><p>Stephanie lightly bumped her shoulder against her companion’s; Dick suddenly felt a pain in his chest, a longing for that kind of casual physical contact. </p><p>“And yet, we’re two of the only people in the whole kingdom who can stand each other.”</p><p>“You got that right.” When Barbara smiled, it had little sadness in it. “Alright, fine, I’ll try to be more agreeable with people we do business with. If our business survives this, that is.”</p><p>Damian must’ve gotten impatient, because it was then that he shoved the door open. Both women started; even their horse lifted his head. </p><p>“Oh.” Barbara’s eyes landed on Dick; her shoulders tightened again. “It’s just you. What do you want?”</p><p>Stephanie looked at the brothers, then at her companion, her eyes suddenly huge.</p><p>“Barbara…” she murmured. “You didn’t tell me you were rude to the <em> king </em>. I have never been more proud to know you.”</p><p>“Excuse us. Um, if you ladies don’t mind,” Tim spoke up, “We need you to take us up the North Mountain.”</p><p>Both of them stared at the brothers. Stephanie looked curious, her companion suspicious and apprehensive. </p><p>“We don’t take people places,” Barbara said at last.</p><p>Tim floundered.</p><p>“But -- but we’re royalty.”</p><p>“From what I heard down in the valley, <em> royalty </em> is what caused this storm. And royalty or not, we’re citizens of this kingdom, and we have a right to look out for our livelihoods,” Barbara said crisply. </p><p>Dick took a deep breath.</p><p>“First of all…”</p><p>He tossed the bag full of the supplies she’d wanted into her lap; Stephanie opened it up and the two women took it in. Then Barbara looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. </p><p>“Consider this half upfront, half when we get back to the valley.”</p><p>Barbara was unmoved.</p><p>“You’re going to have to pay me a lot more than an extra forty silvers to get me and my trainee near such a powerful magic user. Not only do we have our rights, but I have an obligation to protect her.”</p><p>“I can protect myself,” Stephanie muttered, folding her arms.</p><p>“Hush, you.”</p><p>Dick bit his lip hard, then he bent down. Crouching, he and Barbara were at eye-level, her stern face meeting his open one. </p><p>“Look,” he said to her. “We know how to stop this winter. It was our sister who caused it, and we’re the only ones who know how to reach her.”</p><p>His brothers looked like they were going to say something and then thought better of it. Barbara kept looking at him, her expression unreadable.</p><p>“Plus, if you get all of us there and back to the valley safely, we’ll pay you a hundred gold coins.”</p><p>Both women’s mouths fell open.</p><p>“Each.”</p><p>Stephanie recovered first. She eagerly shook her mentor’s shoulder, pulling her in, and the two muttered to each other.</p><p>“Babs, Babs. That could set us up for months.”</p><p>“Or we could die.”</p><p>“Isn’t it worth the risk? Think of your parents, my mother...think of all we could do if we survive. We could finally <em> live </em>.”</p><p>It took another moment of looking at him, but Barbara finally sighed, then leaned back. </p><p>“Fine,” she decided. Her trainee cheered, punching the air. “We leave at dawn.” She checked the bag. “And you forgot the food.”</p><p>Dick picked up the second bag, the one filled with food, from where Jason was holding it and tossed it to her. Unfortunately, he was so excited that he aimed high and accidentally hit her in the head, making her yelp and swear. Stephanie let out a snorting noise that sounded suspiciously like a stifled laugh. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I --” Dick recovered, clearing his throat. “We leave <em>now</em>. Right now.”</p><p>The five brothers all but scurried out, running all the way to the empty sled. Dick leaned against it, exhaling hard, while Tim and Duke cheered and even Jason and Damian smiled excitedly. </p><p>The two women emerged only a few minutes later, wrapped back up in their furs, hair loose around their black-clad shoulders. Stephanie cheerily hitched the horse back up to the sled, while Barbara packed everything up, gesturing to the princes to get in.</p><p>For once, they listened. </p><p>Dick could hardly believe his luck as the sled raced through the mountain paths, the wood creaking slightly, the lantern hooked to the front casting a warm yellow glow into the night. The horse’s canter was steady, and in the back of the sled, Stephanie was napping, smiling in her sleep. Despite the fact that they had insisted that though they were princes, they were still tough enough to stay awake another night, Dick’s brothers had all fallen asleep too, leaning against each other, seeking out warmth. Damian was wrapped in his cape like a blanket. </p><p>Another pang tugged at Dick’s heart. It had been so long since they had had been so close to one another. And he wasn't a part of it. <em>Cass</em> wasn't a part of it. </p><p>A cold wind rushed into him, and he shivered, yawning softly.  </p><p>“Hey,” Barbara said to him, still brusque, but with a little softness now too. They were seated next to each other at the front of the sled, the reins in her hands. She offered him a metal drinking flask, steam rolling off the top. “If you’re going to be up here with no sleep, you should have some coffee.”</p><p>“See? You <em> can </em> be nice.”</p><p>“Don’t push it.”</p><p>Smiling, he took it. There was no milk or sugar, he sipped it directly from the flask instead of from one of the fancy coffee cups at the castle, and it was strong enough to set his teeth on edge, but he appreciated it nonetheless.</p><p>“So what happened with your sister?” she asked, clicking the reins. “Nobody down in the valley or anywhere near the city seems to know why she did this.”</p><p>“Oh.” Dick stared into the black depths of the coffee. “She didn’t mean to, it was an accident, she just...lost control.” He glanced back at his brothers. “And it was all my fault.” </p><p>“What makes you say that?”</p><p>“I got engaged, and she didn’t react well, and our whole family all started arguing over it because I’d only known her a month --”</p><p>“Wait. You got engaged to someone you’ve only known a month?”</p><p>“Yes, but that’s not the point.” He swallowed hard, thinking of the panic in Cass’s eyes, the way she’d cried out when he’d accidentally pulled off her glove. “And then I kept pushing her, and she tried to walk away, and then she just <em> reacted </em>--”</p><p>“Hang on.” Barbara turned all the way around in her seat to face him. He was more than a little annoyed by her incredulous expression. “You mean to tell me you got <em> engaged </em> to someone you’ve only known for <em> a month? </em>”</p><p>“Yes, pay attention,” he snapped. “Look, not a lot of people know the truth, that I’m the one who provoked her. I’m responsible for her, and now, though they probably don’t want me to be, I’m responsible for my brothers. I couldn’t leave them behind, even with Catalina. All the most amoral nobles are still trapped there by the snow, Redhorn, Desmond, Marsh-Morton, and they’ll do anything to jockey for power, even target children.”</p><p>“No, <em> that </em> I get.” Her voice was a little gentler when she said that, glancing at Stephanie. “I understand that you feel obligated to your family, that you need to protect them.” But then it hardened again. “But this Catalina, whoever she is, is practically a stranger to you. There’s no way you can marry her.”</p><p>“First of all, she’s not a stranger. I would trust her with my life.”</p><p>“Sweet Jesus wept.”</p><p>“Second of all, she’s not just my fiancée, she's my friend. I really, <em>really</em> care about her, and since there’s no one else in my life, my last fiancée left me years ago. My other friends have support systems, but she doesn’t, her family’s not around much either, and if we marry each other, we’re guaranteed to be by each other’s sides. To always have a friend.”</p><p>And he was confident that he loved her. Most surprisingly of all, that she loved him back. </p><p>“Well that’s very altruistic,” Barbara said sarcastically, and he bristled, “but that’s quite a commitment for a friend you’ve only known a month.”</p><p>Dick thought back to the years he’d spent writing to his brothers in their homes spread across the kingdom, Jason and Damian with Talia, Tim with his stepmother, Duke with his uncle, knocking on Cass’s door and asking her, over and over again, no matter the lack of response, to come out and see him and to know that he would always be there for her. The years of begging Bruce to make his siblings come home, to make them a real family again, until six months ago when the ship went down. Even during the six months, he mourned alone, his siblings not returning, not coming to him, until the week of his coronation. Catalina's company had been a blessing to him, these past few weeks, but nobody else could <em>see</em> that. </p><p>“Maybe, but trust me, I <em> know </em>commitment. I don’t do casual relationships.”</p><p>“<em> That’s </em> obvious.”</p><p>“How can <em> you </em> tell me off? Are <em> you </em> married?” </p><p>“No,” she said roughly, tugging at the reins.</p><p>“Do you have a partner? Lover? Fiancé? <em> Any </em>body?”</p><p>“I have...friends.”</p><p>“Oh, you mean <em> aside </em> from an eighteen-year-old girl and a horse?” he couldn’t resist saying, and she glared at him, making his throat hitch. </p><p>“Stop talking.”</p><p>“No, no, I think I need to meet these friends of yours to --”</p><p>Her hand slapped over his mouth. </p><p>“I’m serious.” Her voice had gone deadly quiet. The sled ground to a halt; a chorus of half-asleep snorts and grunts arose from the back. “I think I hear something.”</p><p>“Ten more minutes, Bruce,” someone in the back mumbled as Barbara removed her lantern and lifted it. The glow shone in the eyes of the young people, who lifted their heads, groaning. </p><p>The glow also reflected in the shining yellow eyes emerging from the trees. </p><p>“Achilles. Go. <em> Go! </em>”</p><p>She cracked the reins and her horse whinnied, taking off at a gallop. Everyone in the back woke with a start, leaning over the edge of the shaking, rattling back of the sled. </p><p>“It’s wolves,” Damian yelped, almost falling off; Jason had to haul him back in. “Can’t this thing go any faster?”</p><p>“Yes, when it’s not loaded down with seven people! Now shut up, stay in the sled, and somebody hand Stephanie her crossbow!”</p><p>Tim obeyed, and a howl of pain quickly split the night. </p><p>“Is there anything <em> I </em> can do?” Dick asked frantically, reaching back to pull Duke away from the edge. </p><p>“Do wha the others do: don’t fall off and don’t get eaten.”</p><p>“Let me help,” he protested. </p><p>“No, because you can help by doing your job and keeping your siblings safe. And because, quite frankly, I don't trust your judgement."</p><p>“We don’t need him to keep us safe!” all four of his brothers yelled at once. Stephanie rolled her eyes and shot another wolf.</p><p>Gritting his teeth, Dick leaned in on Barbara’s side, and took one of the reins in hand. </p><p>“What are you doing?” she yelled, yanking away from him. </p><p>“Go up that trail there, through those trees!” he yelled in response. “It’s too narrow for them all to follow us!”</p><p>“Don’t tell me what to do!”</p><p>But she twisted the reins towards the trail anyway, and her poor horse frothed at the mouth as he ran. Pine branches whipped Dick’s cheeks, needles leaving red marks on his skin, the creaking sled barely fitting within the trees, though sure enough, the majority of the wolves had fallen behind. But a few determined ones still kept pace, leaping and snapping, their teeth gleaming in the moonlight. </p><p>“The gorge is coming up this way!” Stephanie cried out.</p><p>“Perfect,” Barbara said grimly. "We keep going, get to the gorge. It's the only way."</p><p>“‘Perfect’? Do you know the meaning of that word?” Jason snarked, whacking at a wolf with the butt of his rifle. Tim yelped and ducked. </p><p>"Frankly, I'm not sure 'it's the only way' is so great in that context either," Duke remarked, smacking away a wolf with a broken pine branch. </p><p>“There’s a rope bridge over the gorge,” Stephanie explained, taking another shot. “We can’t take the sled <em> over </em> it, but if we can block the entryway <em> with </em> it, we can lose the pack.”</p><p>“Right.” Barbara sounded impressed with her protégée. The brothers looked doubtful. "It's the only way! You don't have to trust me, but you need to at least trust my expertise, or we're all dead."</p><p>Dick took a deep breath. And he addressed his brothers. </p><p>“Right. You heard her! Everyone, grab your things! And be prepared to jump!”</p><p>They reluctantly did so, and Barbara glanced at him in surprise, like she was reassessing him. He nodded to her, and her expression softened slightly. </p><p>The snowy gorge plunged down into two jagged cliffs, blackened with rocks like rotten fangs. The rope bridge looked like it would barely hold <em> their </em> weight, let alone Achilles’, but he didn’t see any other option. </p><p>“We let the kids go first,” he decided.</p><p>“We do,” she agreed. “Give them a better chance to escape.” </p><p>They shared another nod. </p><p>His brothers leapt from the sled first, rolling as they hit the snow, peeling away and leaping onto the bridge, supplies in their arms, the bridge swaying ominously. Stephanie leapt next, a knife in her hand slicing through Achilles’ harness, Barbara letting go of the reins and her protégée snatching them in one fluid motion. Several boards groaned under the horse's hooves as Stephanie led him across, as the sled ground to a halt at the edge of the cliff.</p><p>“C’mon, help me.”</p><p>She grabbed her cane, even while she stumbled, Dick grabbed the edge of the sled; she stood up to lift it with him, and together, they pulled it across the entrance to the bridge, then beginning to dart across. Just in time, just before the wolves tried to clamber up after them, running up against the curve of the sled, teeth snapping shut only a few feet from his nose. </p><p>Barbara ahead of him, Dick stumbled backwards onto the bridge, nearly to the other side before cracking sounds like ice in spring rose up around him.</p><p>“Oh fu --”</p><p>He plummeted --</p><p>-- his brothers all cried out as one --</p><p>-- and a hand swept down and snatched his. </p><p>“Hold on, Your Majesty,” Barbara grunted. He reached up and grabbed her with his other hand, his heart pounding in his throat. She braced her cane against the snowy ground, then one great heave, she hauled him up. Even holding her weight on her cane, even with one hand, she managed to lift him clear from the broken boards, holding him up over solid ground, her muscles bunching under her furs. The two looked at each other as she held him up, as she gently set him down, and for some reason, though he was safe again, his heartbeat didn’t slow. </p><p>“Thank you,” he managed with dignity, then: “You’re <em> really </em> strong.”</p><p>She started, then ducked her head. </p><p>“I lift a lot of ice,” she mumbled. </p><p>Something in the background sounded like Stephanie giggling.</p><p>It was then that Barbara cleared her throat and stepped away, and that Dick finally looked at the others, making sure everyone was safe, that all their supplies were accounted for. </p><p>“We’ll have to go on foot from here,” she declared, brushing her hair out of her face. She glanced at the snarling, pacing wolves with obvious frustration.</p><p>“At least the sled’s okay,” Duke said consolingly. </p><p>It was at that exact moment that one of the wolves tried to <em>leap</em> over the sled, and instead ended up shoving it forward -- right onto the unstable bridge. Before all their eyes, all the ropes snapped, the bridge and the sled plummeting into the gorge, shattering upon the ground on impact. </p><p>Stephanie and Barbara stared. </p><p>Far beneath, what was left of the sled caught fire. </p><p>Barbara lifted her hands, her breath catching. For a moment, it seemed like she would start yelling again. </p><p>“But I just paid it off,” was all she said. </p><p>Dick swallowed hard, and almost put a hand on her shoulder, before pulling it away. She still looked shell-shocked at the true, total loss of her only means of income. </p><p>“I’ll replace your sled too,” he promised. “But...I understand if you don’t want to help us anymore.”</p><p>She let out a sharp hissing sound through her teeth, leaning all her weight on her cane, bending her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. Tim and Duke backed up hastily, pulling Damian and Jason with them. </p><p>“Well, we can’t <em>not</em> help you. You guys would die without us,” Stephanie spoke up bravely, looking pointedly at her mentor.</p><p>“And you <em> did </em> just save my life,” Dick ventured again, moving a little closer to her. Then, as warmly as he could: “It’d make no sense to make that gesture moot, especially since it <em> proved </em> that I was right, and that you <em>can</em> be nice.”</p><p>She groaned very very deeply. Then she straightened up, squaring her shoulders. </p><p>“Don’t take that personally. Or this. I won’t get my new sled if you’re dead.”</p><p>Despite the loss of their transportation, Dick couldn’t help but grin. Much to his delight, as Stephanie darted ahead over the snow, his brothers began to tentatively smile at each other too. Like a real family. </p><p>“Strap your things to the horse,” Barbara directed, and Dick felt his smile grow, “We need to find shelter for the night. And we’ve still got a long journey ahead of us.”</p><p>“And I’m happy to let you tag along,” he teased her, and she actually laughed slightly, hobbling along in the snow. </p><p>Their group moved forward at different paces, but all as one, just as a new snow began to fall. The snowflakes became little white points upon his brothers’ black hair, like the stars upon their cold winter night, or they dissolved upon Stephanie’s nose, or they touched down on Barbara’s rosy cheeks, frosting her eyelashes and dotting her skin like her freckles. </p><p>Dick paused, just for a moment. He breathed the scents of pine and snow, steadying himself with the clear, cold air. He exhaled upwards, his misty breath seeming to cover the moon like the clouds in the sky. He listened to the sound of footsteps, to the sound of his brothers' voices. </p><p>Then he pointed himself north, and took the next step towards their sister.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I took some inspiration from the Broadway musical as well as the movie. Also, I think this is the quickest I've ever written something of this length? Here's hoping I can keep it up.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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